A Russian leasing company, llyushin Finance Co. (IFC) has approved the purchase of thirty-two Bombardier CS300 aircraft. A conditional order for the aircraft had was announced in 2011 and is now confirmed. The purchase agreement also provides an option for an additional ten CS300 aircraft. A letter of intent for the optional ten aircraft was originally signed in February, 2013.
The order for the thirty-two CS300 aircraft is valued at approximately $2.56 billion US, based on current list prices. With the additional ten options, the contract would have a total value of approximately $3.42 billion.
A spokesman for IFC commented that operators in Russia and elsewhere are interested in the CSeries aircraft because of their concerns about high fuel costs and environmental concerns, both of which concerns the CSeries is expected to alleviate. Alexander Rubtsov added that the CSeries, in terms of capacity and performance, is “ideally placed” between two Russian aircraft, the Superjet and the larger MC-21.
Bombardier called it a “landmark” order both for the CSeries and for IFC. There are already 85 CRJ regional jets and Dash 8/Q-Series either on order or in operation in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States.
In a second announcement, Bombardier confirmed that a previously disclosed order for 10 CS100 aircraft, with options for an additional six of the aircraft, had been made by Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Bombardier and Gulf Air confirmed they were working to ensure that the CSeries aircraft meets the goals of the airline’s ongoing restructuring, in line with its mandate to achieve long-term sustainability. According to the Toronto Star, the airline is focusing on profitable routes that connect Bahrain businesses with regional markets.
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has tripled its aircraft representation in the Middle East and Africa, according to Mike Arcamone, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.
As of March 31, 2013, Bombardier had booked orders and commitments for 388 CSeries aircraft that include firm orders for 145 CSeries airliners.
Meanwhile, Berlin-based Bombardier Transportation announced today that it has won a German order for electric trains, worth $221 million. The order is for 35 Talent 2 trains for regional service on two lines in Germany. The three- and five-car trains to be provided will have a top speed of 160 km/h.
